Lieutenant (LT) Lincoln Schneider, a Bakersfield, Calif., native and outstanding Sailor serving in the United States Navy, has been named one of the Navy's 2012 Recruiters of the Year.

The Navy’s Recruiter of the Year awards recognize the most accomplished and successful recruiters across the country. The winners are those who recruit the best men and women for America's Navy so that this global force for good can fulfill today's missions and meet tomorrow's challenges.

After his graduation from Stockdale High School, in 1999, LT Schneider headed across the country to study literature at Tulane University in New Orleans, La. While in school, LT Schneider decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and joined the Navy in 2001. His first assignment after graduation was at Naval Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola, Fla., and from there he trained on T-34 Turbomentor aircraft as a Student Naval Aviator at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field in Milton, Fla.

Unsure of his future plans, LT Schneider entered into reserve duty in January 2005, and pursued a civilian career in finance before heading to the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., where he earned his Juris Doctorate in May 2010. Upon graduation, LT Schneider returned to the Crescent City and became the Assistant Director for Law Admissions at Tulane University Law School.

LT Schneider was recalled to active duty in December 2010 to National Recruiting District (NRD) Jacksonville. While he enjoyed working at his alma mater, LT Schneider was ready to answer the call to serve again, this time drawing from his professional recruiting experience as well as his experience working as a legal liaison at the Veterans Administration office in the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center. During this time, he worked with combat veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and helped them with legal issues and access to treatment and services. This incredibly rewarding experience stuck with him, and when he was recalled to active duty in 2010, LT Schneider said the opportunity was an outstanding way to continue service.

Once again, LT Schneider returned to Gainesville in 2011, where he has since served as a recruiting officer at the University of Florida, focusing on recruiting for priority recruiting areas including the Navy Medical Corps, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and Judge Advocate General's Corps.

“My approach to recruiting is similar to the way a lawyer would approach a case,” said LT Schneider. “I provide a potential recruit with all the information and, if they’re motivated and dedicated enough to be part of this elite force, my job is to make them as competitive as possible. I polish them up and make them shine and, for me, when a Sailor gets selected, it’s like winning a case. It’s a pretty cool feeling to start numerous careers, especially when I was literally in their same shoes just a few years ago.”

In addition to his recruiting responsibilities at the University of Florida, LT Schneider has been involved with the school’s admissions committee since 2008. He volunteers to speak with potential students about the pros and cons of law school, and helps current law students with everything from finding an apartment to navigating coursework. LT Schneider is also working on his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Florida and plans to serve as a healthcare administrator in the Navy’s Medical Corps.

For his extraordinary performance, LT Schneider has been awarded the Navy’s prestigious 2012 Recruiter of the Year Award for Officer Recruiter of the Year.